An innovative solution has been adopted to speed up the construction of new jetties at the Spanish port of Cartagena, in the province of Murcia in the south of Spain.

Massive concrete blocks are being constructed with which to build the jetties, which, it is claimed, are the largest of their type ever built, measuring some 70m x 35m x 35m.

NECSO, the prime contractor for the project, constructed a large catamaran style concrete block builder especially for the project.

The Kugira , a concrete block builder mounted on an enormous catamaran, is capable of building a super-size block every seven days, served by the concrete factory that has been erected at the port.

The Kugira uses a hydraulically operated system to lift and lower the 'construction umbrella' that holds the block formers. On both sides of the catamaran, 15 sets of stage-lifting hydraulic units operate the 35m wide and 70m long umbrella.